Bumps and Bruises
by Gemmika
Summary: Kristoff really isn't in the mood for conversation when he returns early from an ice harvesting expedition. All he wants is a nice soak in the tub... too bad Anna doesn't like to knock anymore.


**A/N:** Hey everyone! This is my very first "Frozen" fanfiction and I'll admit that I'm just a little nervous. I've never written fanfiction for a fandom that wasn't a book series. I'm just not sure how to properly phrase things without a writing style to emulate. I hope you enjoy this story. There is a lot more coming!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own "Frozen" or the characters of Anna or Kristoff. They belong exclusively to Disney!

* * *

It had been a very long day.

Kristoff fought back a yawn as he made his way up the stairs to his new living quarters in the castle. _The Castle._ He hadn't been able to argue with both Anna and Elsa when they had "suggested" that he move in a few months back. He had to admit that a feather bed was much more comfortable than his usual stack of hay, but it was still strange to him. A man raised by trolls who spent the majority of his time with a reindeer and harvested ice for a living… well, men like him didn't live in castles with princesses. They didn't even _know _princesses, let alone planned to marry one. His life had certainly taken a bizarre turn on the day he had met Anna. A pleasant one, a life changing one, but still bizarre.

Speaking of Anna, he knew she would want to see him the moment he arrived. He glanced at her door as he walked by it, but he didn't even slow his pace. He was too damn tired and frustrated to deal with his chatterbox. It wasn't that he wasn't aching to see her (two weeks _was _a long time after all), it was just that he didn't think he would be particularly good company at the moment. He wasn't sure the last time he had a worse trip up into the mountains and he didn't think that Anna would really understand why he was so upset. It was better to just deal with her in the morning, after he had gotten the rest he needed, not to mention a long soak in some hot water for his aching muscles.

The first thing he did when he got to his room was strip down to his skin, and thankfully found a bath waiting for him. Earlier today he had sent a message to Kai, the servant who had been assigned to him, instructing him to have a warm tub waiting for him when he arrived back at the castle late in the evening. He hadn't been sure the message would reach him, or even that Kai would be willing to guess when Kristoff would arrive, but luckily for him, the servant was as trustworthy as ever. It made him wonder how many times the poor man had had to fill the copper tub with hot water. Right now he was just grateful that there was a bath waiting for him. His muscles were all but screaming at him now and so he decided to appease them by sinking into the water.

He fought back a moan. Yeah… this was the life. He certainly couldn't get comfort like this out in the stables with Sven.

He had just settled into the water and closed his eyes, felt the tension start to leave his legs and lower back, when he heard the door to his room open behind him. He spun around, sloshing water onto the stone floor in his surprise.

"Anna?" he asked, eyes widening in surprise as he recognized her silhouette in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same thing!" she said huffily, storming into the room and stopping just far enough away that her feet would remain dry. "You came home a day early and didn't even have the courtesy to tell me you were back!"

He sighed, letting out a low guttural sound. He was too exhausted to deal with this now, though he should have known that even past ten in the evening, she would have heard him arrive and come looking for him. He didn't particularly care about all that though, he was quickly realizing that Anna was alone with him in his room… and he was naked.

"Can you at least turn around?" he asked in exasperation, doing his best to hide himself from her view. "I'm taking a bath if you didn't notice."

Anna's eyes grew wide and her face turned crimson as the blood rushed to her cheeks. She quickly turned her back on him, wrapping her arms around her waist in her obvious distress. "Oh... _oh_…" she said breathlessly, and he watched as she bit her lower lip, something she only did when she was highly anxious about something. Damn her, it was sexy when she worried her lip that way.

"Look, I was going to come and see you in the morning," he said, grabbing the bar of soap and running it over his legs. "I just thought you were already asleep and I needed some time to calm down. I didn't want to take my bad day out on you."

Ann turned a little, one eye peeking at him, trying to decide if she believed what he was saying. He could tell she was going to say something, she had opened her mouth and everything, but then she seemed to change her mind. Instead, her eyes trailed down his back and her soft blue eyes filled with tears.

"Kristoff! Your back!" she cried out, bringing a hand to mouth as she looked at him. "How bad does it hurt?"

Before he could answer her, she moved to the back of the tub and dropped to her knees, getting the bottom of her nightgown soaked as she kneeled in the puddles of water. She reached out a shaky hand and brushed a delicate finger over a particularly nasty bruise. At least, he assumed it was nasty. It was at an angle that he couldn't see, but it certainly hurt badly enough to remind him that it was there every time he moved. Surprisingly it didn't hurt when she touched it. Instead, it felt as though her cool fingers were a soothing balm. Hell, maybe it just felt that way because she was touching him for the first time in weeks. Whatever it was, he closed his eyes and let out a soft moan, leaning into her touch as much as he could manage.

All too quickly, she moved her hand away and he heard a sob rip from her chest.

"Anna, I'm all right," he said quickly, trying to assure her that it wasn't as bad as it looked. He was alive, right? It definitely could have been worse. She didn't respond to him though, and when he turned to look at her, he realized why. She was gone.

_Damn it to hell_, he thought angrily. He moved the soap roughly over his body, trying to wash quickly so he could get out of the damn tub and soothe her innocent sensibilities. She had no idea what he went through up in the mountains when he was harvesting ice. She didn't understand that every day was a risk, but as long as he came back she could consider herself lucky. Yeah, he suffered minor bumps and bruises. He got a good knick from a blade or an axe every once in awhile, but he was made of tough stuff, he had to be.

He was still mentally categorizing everything that could have gone wrong but didn't, when he heard the door close and moments later felt her soft touch return to his skin.

He should have jumped a good yard into the air at the sudden shock of her cool fingers, but Anna's touch was as familiar to him as his own name. Instead of being surprised at the return of her touch, he closed his eyes and leaned into it once more. "I thought I had traumatized you with my injuries," he said quietly, only half joking.

She didn't respond for a moment, just let her fingers flutter over the wounds on his back. Finally he heard her sigh and she put a hand on his shoulder. "Give me the soap," she said, flipping her hand up so he could place the bar in her palm.

He wanted to argue with her, tell her that it was improper for her to be alone with him in his current state, especially with the door shut, but instead he handed her the soap. It had been two weeks since he had felt her touch, two weeks since he had seen her face or heard her voice. He knew that if Elsa could see them, he would be a block of ice, but she wasn't here and he wasn't going to turn away a quiet moment with Anna.

And, strangely enough, it was a quiet moment. She didn't say anything while she soaped his back, taking the utmost care over his bruises so as not to hurt him. She even managed to keep quiet while she took a cup from the small table beside his tub, filled it with water and rinsed his back clean. He was pretty sure it was the longest she had ever stayed silent her entire life. He didn't mention it aloud though, he wasn't exactly an idiot.

She turned around while he dried himself off, but she didn't leave. He wasn't sure why, but he hadn't really expected her to. There seemed to be some kind of unspoken understanding between them, that she wasn't going to leave until he was calm enough to discuss what had upset him so badly about this latest ice harvesting venture. So, he dressed quickly, throwing on whatever clothing he could find in the armoire, and then made his way to where she was standing. He took advantage of the fact that they were alone and slid a hand around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. He couldn't stop himself from pressing a kiss to the side of her neck, his tongue darting out to taste the curve where her shoulder and neck met. She let out a delicate moan and he chuckled. He didn't tease her often, but sometimes she just looked so delicious that he couldn't help himself.

He grabbed her hand and led her toward his bed, shushing the soft sound of protest she made when he hauled her up beside him and tucked her into his arms. "I love you," he whispered, finding her lips with his and taking only a little of what he wanted most. He had to keep himself contained for only a few more weeks, until their wedding night, but then he would give and take everything.

Her hand cupped his cheek and her thumb rubbed gentle circles on his skin. "Take off your shirt," she said simply.

His mouth fell open in surprise. "Anna?" Was she asking what he thought she was asking?

She slipped out of his arms and crossed the room toward the tub where she had been kneeling as she washed his back. He watched as she grabbed a small jar from the floor and brought it back to the bedside. "Your shirt," she said again, waving her hand at him in a clear demand that he do what she said, "take it off and lie on your stomach."

She very rarely used her royal tone on him, the one that demanded instead of asked. It always aroused him to no end when she did. He couldn't help his lips from twitching as he held in his laughter, but he did as she said, tossing the shirt off and onto the floor. He would more than likely let it stay there all night, he prefered sleeping in the nude. Not that Anna needed to know that… yet.

He nearly bolted upright when he felt her legs slide to either side of his hips. Did she realize what she was doing to him when her body was pressed against him like that? Obviously not, because her tone was cool and business-like when she ordered him to keep still. Then he felt the thick salve touch his skin and he couldn't think of anything but the cool, soothing pleasure replacing the aches and pains in his back.

She took her time covering his nicks and cuts, bumps and bruises, with the medicine. She didn't rush it, which surprised him even more. Anna had a tendency to rush a lot of things, but it seemed that she understood that sometimes there were things that needed extra care and attention. This was obviously one of those times. The rhythm of her hands on his back was soothing, and if it had been anyone else, he might have fallen asleep… but this was Anna touching him, the girl he loved more than his own life. When she touched him, all of his senses came alive. He wondered if it would always be that way. He hoped that it would.

"All right," she said, after what had felt like hours of slow, soothing strokes, "I think I found them all. Used up almost my whole jar too."

He chuckled and twisted his head to look at her. In the dim lamplight, her hair glowed like fire. It made a knot of pure need grow in his stomach, but he fought it back. Only a few more weeks, he reminded himself, he could hold out for a few more weeks until the wedding. So, instead of reaching for her the way he desperately wanted to, he just smiled at her. "Thank you for that," he said.

She blushed furiously, not as immune to the intimacy of what she had just done as he had thought. "I suppose I need to stock up on the salve?" she asked with a delicate shrug and wrapped her arms around her waist in obvious discomfort, "You know, for the next time you get back from the mountains."

"I wouldn't mind," he admitted graciously. Hell, he'd buy up the whole damn shops worth if it were up to him. He hadn't felt this good after a harvest in, well, ever.

When she didn't appear to be in any hurry to come back to the bed where he could hold her, he rolled onto his side so he could at least get a better look at her. It had been weeks since he had really been able to drink his fill of her in any way. If visually was the only option he had, he would take it and gladly. She was more beautiful than any mountain lake, or early morning sunrise. Had he ever told her that? Did she know how precious she was to him?

"Anna, come here," he suggested, motioning her with his hand to sit next to him on his bed.

She hesitated, biting her lower lip again. He watched as she looked toward the door, took a deep breath that shook her shoulders and then turned back to him, her eyes inscrutable. It seemed like an eternity passed that they stared at each other from across the room, the oil lamp flickering as the last drops of oil climbed the wick. _Come on, Anna_, he thought desperately, willing her to just walk a few steps and join him on the bed.

Somehow, through some miracle, his pleading thoughts worked. She took a hesitant step toward him, then another, and another, until she had made her way to the side of the bed and curled up next to him. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her against his chest and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. It didn't surprise him when a rush of warmth washed over him as soon as she put her lips to the skin over his heart. He was so proud to call her his, to know that she loved him enough to accept a simple ice harvester as her Prince consort. It was a blessing that he would never be able to deserve, but he treasured it just the same. He treasured her.

"How did I get lucky enough to have you fall in love with me?" he whispered in her ear, his voice filled with wonder.

"I was wondering exactly the same thing," she admitted. She looked up at him then, her eyes so filled with love that she couldn't contain it. A single tear dropped from her cheek and ran down her face. He immediately brushed it away with his calloused hand, his thumb lingering on her cheek.

"Why are you crying, Anna?" he asked.

She shook her head, not wanting to answer him. He had his own ways to get around that. He leaned down and nuzzled her neck with the two weeks worth of scruff he still hadn't shaved yet. She squealed and tried to push him away. "Okay, okay!" she whispered, trying keep quiet after her loud squeal. "Man, you are so annoying!"

"So, tell me what's wrong," he pressed. "I can't fix it if you don't tell me what it is."

"It's stupid," she mumbled, looking back down at his chest, as if something there was suddenly completely engrossing.

He put his fingers under her chin and tipped it up, forcing her to look at him. "If it makes you cry, it isn't stupid," he said seriously. "Now, please, Anna, tell me why you are so upset."

She sighed. "It's just, seeing your back when you came home… it made everything so real. I know you told me that your work was dangerous, but I never really understood that until I saw how battered you looked. I cried because I was so grateful that scratches and bruises were all you suffered. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose you. I love you, Kristoff. It scares me how much I do."

"Oh, sweetheart," he whispered, his heart dropping, "You aren't going to lose me. I've been doing this for years, I know how to be careful." But in the back of his mind he felt guilty because he had been thinking exactly these same things earlier when he was in the bath. He knew first hand how quickly a grown man, an experienced man, could lose his footing and get caught in the icy waters. He had seen it happen and it wasn't pretty. He could only promise her that he would be careful… and he would. He had her to come home to, didn't he?

Silence fell between them as Kristoff grew lost in his thoughts. Anna had had enough of silence though, he should have been surprised she had lasted as long as she had.

"Now, it's your turn to tell me why you were so grumpy when you came home tonight," she pressed, poking him in the chest with a hard finger.

"I wasn't grumpy," he argued, giving her a look of pure annoyance.

She raised one eyebrow at him, obviously not believing him. "Right, you were in such a good mood that you needed to ignore me and come straight for a bath. Kristoff, you never want a bath first thing when you get home. You just wanted to be alone. So, you were grumpy."

He rolled his eyes and tugged on one of her braids. "Fine, I was grumpy. I had a right to be. One of our new sleighs fell into the ice. We couldn't salvage it. That's a lot of money to watch sink to the bottom of a lake."

"I'll buy you another one," she told him, "it's just a thing. At least you didn't lose any of the other men, right?"

"Right," he admitted, letting out a long slow breath. It sounded silly when she put it in that perspective, but it had been a source of frustration among the men. It had put sour faces on everyone, which was why they had come home earlier than planned. It was just like Anna to make logical sense when he didn't want to hear it. She was often ornery like that. It was probably one of the many reasons he loved her as much as he did.

"Do you feel better now that you aren't holding that in anymore?" she asked, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his neck.

He let out a shaky breath, a laugh catching on the end. He loved it when she touched him… man, he was a goner. "Yes, but honestly, I felt better the moment you barged in and starting washing my back. Just knowing you were there for me was enough to take a weight off my shoulders. I guess that's what relationships are for, huh? To share things so you aren't so weighed down?"

She shrugged, her shoulders rising and falling in a way that made her breasts move against his chest. "I suppose so. There are other advantages to relationships," she whispered against his skin, her mouth trailing up to his lips.

He grinned as her lips danced tentatively over his. He smoothed one hand down the side of her nightgown and wrapped his arm around her hips, pulling her closer. What would he do without Anna soothing all of his hurts away? He'd be lost. Speaking of lost… he opened his mouth, letting his tongue dart out to war with hers and lost himself willingly in the beauty of their kiss.


End file.
